Friday, April 29, 2011

I’ve had my eye on the gorgeous Connaught Hotel in London for quite some time now and would love to stay there during a future trip across the pond. The sitting room in “The Apartment” suite is absolutely gorgeous. I love the soaring, beamed ceilings and while I am not usually a blue person, I really love it in this space. Maybe it’s the excitement of the royal wedding. Who knows! There is such a great mix of textures and fabrics from the sumptuous velvet sofa to the beautiful, show-stopping ombré drapes. The piece de resistance might just be the stunning marble fireplace, though. I love the clean, modern lines amongst the more traditional furnishings.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I really wish I were in London right now to experience the pageantry and excitement of the royal wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William. I can only imagine what the energy must be like in London right now. Maybe we’ll visit London when Prince Harry decides to walk down the aisle, though I suspect it’ll be a while before he decides to settle down. Will you be tuning in to watch the wedding as it happens early tomorrow morning?

I need to work on my fitness. My crazy schedule as of late has sort of let working out fall by the wayside. Before I know it, the entire day has passed while I type away at the computer for La Dolce Vita, High Gloss, or one of my freelance writing gigs and my good intentions for exercising are blown for the day. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who “needs” to exercise to get through the day, much like some people need coffee- I don’t need that either. I wish that I were disciplined on the exercising front or that I was addicted to something like running, but I am not. I am just a girl who isn’t exactly athletically gifted and who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise other than pilates, mostly because I am laying down for the majority of the time.

I know that I need to get back on the wagon, but I need motivation. I’ve heard good things about Tracy Anderson’s DVDs, though some people say they’re REALLY hard and that scares me. So, I’d like to know how you make time for exercise. What is your fitness routine of choice? Do you stick to the same thing or do you mix it up? How often do you work out? How do you keep yourself motivated?

{Do you like working out solo like Cameron Diaz?}

{Are you partial to the buddy system like Lauren and Lo?}

{Are you a runner? This is not happening for me in this lifetime. I have a bad knee.}

{Does your work out come by the way of being a busy woman/mom like Jennifer Garner?}

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Today, the lovely Seleta of Simply Seleta shares her “Dream Home” with us. I always enjoy reading about her beautiful family, so it was nice to see how they influenced the home of her dreams.

When Paloma invited me to join in her dream home series, I was thrilled. Daydreaming is something that comes naturally, so this task was right up my alley. These days a farm house seems dreamy. Lots of green with plenty of space for critters and kids would be the perfect setting for our family of six. Since we recently added a horse to our brood, I would welcome a home with acres and acres of rolling hills. I'm imagining the outside would be something like this... Maybe a pool in the backyard for downtime... Now for the kitchen. Crisp cabinets and direct access to nature would be a must. My dream would be greeting our horse and ponies from this spot throughout the day. I like the vibe here...just give me a whopper of an island instead of a table and you've got a deal. Two sinks for our command center would be perfection. Love the effect of this dining room - I know it's an older image but what I like is the relaxed feel and connection to the outside. I would replace the wooden chairs with upholstered seating in this stripe, a pair of wingbacks in a fun solid linen and a mod light fixture to add some sass. In a perfect world our main rooms would be highly edited and bathed in soft tones. This is a lovely look for a living room. I always drool over this unforgettable Victoria Hagan family room. Although for me to consider it family friendly, I would need a squishy big square ottoman upholstered in a small graphic pattern and a few toys scattered around the floor...without some sort of mess I'd be confused. Kid rooms. Our guys tend to bunk up at night, so I'd make each room big and friendly with plenty of snuggly blankets and fresh splashes of color. For the master bedroom it would be all about pure relaxation. Something about a canopy brings such a sense of peace to my brain after a long day. Our bathroom would be neutral and spacious with big windows and a ball and claw tub. His and her closets? No doubt. Off the master would be a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves and plenty of comfortable seating. I would find a way to incorporate a leopard ottoman in the mix. If I were lucky enough to have an office, it would be detached from the home and just like this. Windsor Smith knows how to even make work look pretty. Paloma, thanks letting me dream a little and visit your blog today. It was fun so to be here!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Upholstered headboards have been around for a long time. Reminiscent of a more glamorous time in history, specifically the 1950s and 1960s, they have made a huge resurgence in design. There are beautiful, high-end custom-made versions and really great DIY versions that can be made with a little elbow grease, some time and usually, $100 or less. I currently do not have an upholstered headboard, but I recently ordered Serena and Lily’s Pondicherry Headboard with Nailheads and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival. Do you have any upholstered beds in your home? Is this another case of a classic that has been overexposed in the blogosphere or are they here to stay?

Monday, April 25, 2011

It’s no secret that I have a strong affinity for bold patterns when it comes to design. Make it polished and tailored all you want, but be sure to throw in a good pattern or two. Designing duo, Kirsten Kelli used a treasure trove of amazing patterns in this palatial Dallas home. The study, pictured above features a beautiful mix of ikat and ethnic textiles. I love that they’ve taken an otherwise, dark, traditional study and turned it on its head by adding so many bright and bold textiles.

{The lovely dining room also features some gorgeous ikat patterns, though the colors in this room are a bit more subdued.}

{The Grand Dining Room}

{The floors in this grand hall are reminiscent of David Hicks’ La Fiorentina, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite patterns.}

Friday, April 22, 2011

Model Jessica Stam’s New York apartment was recently featured on Vogue.com and I loved it right away. There is a very organic, yet layered quality to her living room. The soaring windows wash the room with light and I love the stark contrast of the white walls and dark wood floors. The furniture ranges from a variety of styles, but it all works very well together and looks rather sophisticated. My favorite feature is hands-down, the beautiful carved Moroccan door leading to Stam’s bedroom.

{This little vignette in the entry leading into the living room is so polished and pretty.}

I am heading back home after a fun and productive week in LA, working on the third issue of High Gloss Magazine. Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Friday!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

What is your favorite city in the world? For me, it’s definitely a toss-up between London and Barcelona, two cities that are so strikingly different, but have so much to offer. Paris definitely round out my top 3. Stateside, I love San Francisco. It’s beautiful, romantic and home to great restaurants. Which city is your favorite?

{Photo of St. Paul’s Cathedral taken during our September 2009 trip to London}

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Last week, we debated whether white kitchens were a classic or passing trend that had seen its share of the spotlight. White kitchens definitely one the classic vote by a landslide and it seems the great majority of you love them! I was happy to hear that because I am about to update my kitchen as well. We’ve been meaning to do it for years and I finally said to my husband, “enough is enough…let’s do this!”, so we are! Anyhow, part of me is still tempted to try dark painted cabinets, grey more so than black. We painted our bathroom cabinets high-gloss black and love the look, but are a little weary of trying it in the kitchen. I’m afraid we would get tired of them very quickly. Have any of you gone to the dark side? What do you think of this look? Love it or leave it?

{Farmhouse Modern}

{unknown}

{House Beautiful}

{Could this kitchen by Tommy Smythe be the ideal solution- white uppers and black lowers?}

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Today, Helena from the London-based A Diary of Lovely is sharing her “Dream Home” with us. It’s fun to see how she mixes looks from both sides of the pond!

A dream home, wow, that's a big task! And while I seat here and think about it I realise how mixed my style is, how I love so many different trends, ideas. I have found myself drawn to the white Scandinavian environments, but at the same type big eccentric colourful room also make my heart race. So where do I stand? In between I guess.

I'm a city girl, that's one thing I know. I do fantasize with the suburbs idea but I can't see it happening. So my ideal house would have plenty of rooms to enjoy, have family and friends over, relax, cook.Which is why a brownstone or a mews has so much appeal to me, it has the character and beauty in the city.

The kitchen is one of the most important parts. It has to be big, with lots of storage, open shelves and a pantry! and a middle island with a breakfast nook.A big living room would be the heart of the house to enjoy laughs and fun. Spend lazy Sundays, enjoy of company. Here's where my style gets all confused. I just want it to feel homey, cozy, livable and classic. Warm colors, and velvets, luxurious fabrics and fun patterns and little details to brighten up the room.And a big dining room, for big family dinnersLike Bailey said, I would like a room all to myself, but also one for N, I know it's of his dreams too.Mine would have an office and a reading area, with lots of books.N's would be darker, with dark leathers and a manly warmth.Let's talk bedrooms. A couple of guest bedrooms, very different between them, perfect opportunity to play around.Master Bedroom. Easy. Fabulous for both, with an adjacent walk in closet (my BIG dream) and a lavish bathroom.Do I want more? Yes! There will be kids eventually, so of we go, with playful rooms full of life!And not to forget the details. A beautiful staircase, an art wall, a beautiful entryway.And finally a small outdoor space, maybe a patio or a terrace or even a small garden.Thank you so so much Paloma for inviting me to share a big dream of mine, this had definitely been a fantastic exercise and lots of fun. xoVia: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|21|22|23|24|25